Machine for making reed-plates



(No Model.)

A. H. HAMMOND.

MACHINE FOR MAKING REED PLATES.

,No. 373,588. 7 Patented Nov. 22, 1887'.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrica.

ANDREXV H. HAMMOND, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING REED-PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 373,588, datedNovember 22, 1887.

Application filed August 8, 1887. Serial No. 246,402.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vorcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinMachines for Manufacturing Reeds for Musical Instruments; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which, in connection with the drawings forming apartof this spccificatiomwill enable oth ers skilled in the art to whichmy invention belongs to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an automatic ma chine for performing certainwork in the p rocess of manufacturingrecds for musical instruments, towit: planing off the surface of the reed-plate, forming a depressiontherein at the point where the reedtongue is to be secured to thereed-plate,and stamping orlettering the end of the reed-plate, asindicatcdin Figure 6 of the drawings, and fully set for-thin the LettersPatent of the United States granted to me October 19, 1886, No. 351,049,and to which reference is hereby made for a more detailed description ofthe reed-plate which my machine is designed to manufacture.

The object of my invention is to produce an automatic power-machine formanufacturing reed-plates of the description referred to, andillustrated in Fig.6 of the drawings forming a part of thisspecification; and my invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of saidmachine, as will be hereinafter fully described, and the nature thereofindicated by the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine. Fig. 2is a plan view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views, on anenlarged scale, of the dieholder and dies and parts connectedtherewith-viz: Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4 is a vertical centralsection. Fig. 5 represents, on an enlarged scale, a vertical sectionthrough the clamping mechanism at line 00, Fig. 1, to be hereinafterfully described, and Fig. 6 illus trates the work which the machineperforms on the reed-plateviz., forming a depression therein at thepoint where the reed-tongue is to be attached and stamping or letteringthe end of the reed-plate.

(No model.)

In the accompanying drawings, 1 is the frame of the machine, on one sideof which is supported the main driving-shalt 2,upon which are securedthe hand wheel 3, the tight and loose pulleys4 and 5, and the gear 6,which meshes into the larger gear, 7, firmly secured upon the shaft 8.Said shaft 8 turns in the bearing 9, forming a part of the frame 1, andhas at its forward end the crank 10, which gives to the slide 11 areciprocating motion by means of the connecting-rod 12, which is securedat 13 to the slide 11.

The slide 11 consists ofa block moving back and forth in the frame 1,and being held there in by dovetail projections at the top and bottom.Said slide 11 has upon its uppcrsurl'ace at its forward end a table, 14,adapted to receive the reed-plate preparatory to the same being operatedupon, and which is held in its proper longitudinal position on saidtable, in i this instance by means of an adjustable bar, 15, supportedin the lugs 16, projecting out from the slide 11. The forward end ofsaid bar 15 rests upon the table 14, and bears against the rear end ofthe reed-plate, causing said reed-plate to be moved along with saidtable.

In order to make the table 14 vertically adjustable, I employ awedge-shaped key, 17, which rests upon the projecting part 11 of theslide 11, and is held in place by means of a set-screw or nut, 17,provided with a camsurface, and screwing into the slide 11. Said wedge17 extends under the table 14, and thus supports said table. Byloosening the setscrew 17' and moving the wedge 17 in one direction orthe other the elevation of the table 14 may be altered as desired, andheld in place by tightening the set-screws 18, which are held in posts19, secured upon the slide 11. (See Fig. 5.)

At the right end of the slide 11 is secured the clamping-lever 20, whosefunction is to clamp, the reed-plate laterally, and thus hold it on thetable 14 during the operation of plan ing and stamping, which will behereinafter described. The clamping-lever 20 is pivoted at 21 in theholder 22, which is screwed into the slide 11, (see Fig. 5,) and has atits upper end the clamping-blade 29', withitsouter end extending overthe table 14, and arranged at such a height thatit will, in theoperating position, press against the outer edge of the reedplate andhold it on the table 14, fast between the end of the blade 20 and theprojecting part 11" of the slide 11. (See Fig. 5.) Through the lowerpart of the elamping'lever20, below the pivot-point 21, extends a screw,23,Which is adjusted so that its inner end will rest or bear on thesurface of the lever 24, which is supported and pivoted on a shoulder,23, of the holder 22, and extends down therefrom. (See Fig. 1.)

The lever 24 is provided with a countersunk hole, 25, adapted to receivethe end of the screw 23, so that by swinging the lower end of the lever24around its pivot-pointat the end of the forward'motion of the slide11, and which in this instance is done by means of a set-screw, 26,supported in a stand, 27, secured to the frame 1, the screw 23 willenter the hole 25, and thus release the upper part of the clamping-lever20 and the blade 20 from pressing against the edge of the reed-plate,and allow said plate to drop off or be removed from the table 24 of theslide 11; Upon the return-stroke of the slide 11 the end of the swinginglever 24 will strike at the proper time against the set-screw 28,supported in a stand, 29-, secured to the frame 1, and cause the end ofthe screw 23 to move out of the hole 25 and the upper part of theclamping le'ver 20 and blade 20' to move inward and clamp anotherreed-plate preparatory to the same being operated upon, and thisoperation is repeated every time that the slide 11 is moved forward andback.

In order to give perfect freedom to the reedplate, a spring, 30, issecured at its lower end to theholder 22, and presses outward at itsupper end against the upper part of the clamping-lever 20, thus forcingthe screw 23 to en ter the hole 25 at the proper time, as abovedescribed.

Returning to the frame 1, it will be seen that at the right, anddirectly over the clampinglever 20, a reservoir or trough, 31, isprovided, consisting'of a piece of sheet metal, 32, and projectingvertical bars 33, for holding the reed-plates 34 before the same areoperated upon by the naehine. Said reed-plates 34 are placed one abovethe other and drop by their own weight at the propertirne onto the table14 of the slide 11', just in front of the end of the bar 15, and areheld in place thereon by means of said bar 15 and the clampinglever 20,in the manner hereinbefore described, 'sb

that the forward movement of said'slide 11 carries the reed plate underthe shaving or planing tool 35, adjustably supported in the formthickness.

frame 1, where the top surface of the reedplate is planed, leaving thereedplate of uiii- Said reed-plate is then ready to receive theimpressions which will be made by the dies in the rotary holder 36.

The work to be performed by the dies in the holder 36, as beforeindicated, is the making I of the depression 37 in the reed plate 34 atthe point where the tongue is to be attached to said plate, and also thelettering 38 at the end of the reed plate, or other desirable lettering,(see Fig. 6,) and to accomplish which, in the present instance, I employtwo dies secured in the holder 36.

By referring to Figs. 3 and 4 the construction of the die-holder 36 willbe readily understood. In this instance it consists of two parts, 36 and36". The former, 36, forms and is the enlarged head of the shaft 41, andholds the die 39, for making the depression 37 in the reed-plate. Oneend of the die 39 rests againstthe inner end-of the screw 40, whichrenders a very accurate adjustment, as to the depth of the depression 37in the reed-plate, possible.

The die 39 is retained in its proper position in the holder 36 by asetscrew, 42, which enters the forward end of the shaft 41, and bearsagainst the die 39, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The lettering-die 43 isheld in the part 36" of the holder 36, and the inner end of the diestembears against the periphery of the part 36; The part 36"is centrallysupported on the outer end of the shaft 41, andheld against the part 36,or the enlarged head of the shaft 41, in any desired position, by meansof the nut 45. A lug, 44, extends out from the part 36 and rides upontheperiphery of the holder 36. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

The difference in length of reed-plates to be manufactured on my machinerenders a change in the relative position of thetwo dies 39 and 43necessary, and this result is obtained by loosening the nut 45, securedupon the end of the shaft 41, and moving the holder 36", carrying thelettering-die 43, around on the shaft 41 until the desired position ofsaid letteringdie 43 relatively to the position of the die 39 isreached, and then tightening up the nut 45.

In order to provide for accurate adjustment laterally of the die-holder36, I preferably use a sleeve, 46, provided with a thread on itsperiphery, which is a counterpart of the thread IIO and driving-gear 48to avoid lateral motion of the shaft 41. The end 46 of the sleeve 46which projectsbeyond the bearing 47 is adapted for engagement with awrench or other means to turn the same; and said sleeve, holding theshaft 41, having the die-holder 36 thereon, may be turned in eitherdirection, carrying said shaft 41 and die-holder 36 to any desiredlateral position.

The shaft 41 and the die-holder 36 thereon is rotated by means of thegear 48, secured upon the inner end of said shaft 41, and held in placein this instance by means of a nut, 49. Said gear 48 meshes with and isoperated by the rack 50,.supported and sliding inwa'ys At the outwardside of the stud 53 are secured two adjustable check-nuts, 54, upon theend of the rod 51, forming a positive stop or shoulder against which thestud 53 strikes. The space on the rod 51 between the checknuts 54 andthe shoulder or check-nut 52 on said rod is thus fixed and so adjustedthat upon the forward movement of the slide 11 the rack 50, foroperating the gear 48, will remain stationary while the reed-plate isbeing carried under the planing-tool, immediately after which the stud53, attached to and moving with said slide 11, engages with the shoulderor nut 52 on the rod 51, attached to the rack 50, thus moving forwardsaid rack 50 and rotating the gear 48, and with it the shaft 41 anddie-holder 36, causing the dies 39 and 43 to operate at the proper timeupon the reedplate 34, supported upon the table 14 and carried alongwith the slide 11 in the manner as above described. Upon the returnmovement of the slide 11, after the reed-plate 34 has been operated uponby the dies, 'the stud 53 will engage the checknuts 54 upon the end ofthe rod 51 and move said rod and the rack 50 con nected therewith backto their first position, thereby turning the gear 48 and the shaft 41and die holder 36 back into their normal po sition.

The operation of my improved machine will be readily understood from theabove description, in connection with the drawings, by those skilled inthe art, and briefly is as follows: A

number of reed plates or blanks, partially manufactured, are placed inthe reservoir 31, the lowest one of which will rest upon the top of thetable 14, supported on the slide 11, and be held in its proper positionthereon by the rod 15 and the blade of the clamping-lever 20. The largegear 7 is revolved, causing the slide 11, through the intervention ofthe connecting-rod l2 and crank 10, to be pushed forward, carrying thereed-plate under the planingtOOl and under the dies 39 and 43, supportedin the die-holder 36, said die-holder being rotated at the proper timeto have the dies operate on the reed-plate by means of the gear 48 andthe rack 50, in the manner hereinbefore fully described. After thereed-plate has been operated upon by the dies the clamping-lever 20releases said reed-plate, which is then dropped down out of the way. Theslide 11 is then drawn back into its first position by the continuedrevolution of the gear 7 and another reed-plate dropped onto the table14 from the reservoir 31 preparatory to being operated upon in themanner above described.

It will be understood that the details of construction of the severalparts of my machine may be varied somewhat from what is herein describedand shown in the drawings without departing from thcprinciple of myinvention. A third die may be employed, secured in the die-holder 36, ifdesired, for stamping a letter upon the rear end of the reed-plate.

Havingthus described my improvements in machines for manufacturing reedsfor musical instruments, what I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for manufacturing reeds for musical instruments, thecombination, with a slide upon which the reed-plate to be operated uponis supported, and means for clamping said reed plate on said slide, of arotary die-holder carrying dies for operating on the reed plate, andmeans for rotating said dieholder, in the manner substantially as shownand described.

2. In a machine for manufacturing musical reeds, the combination, withaslide and means for supporting and operating the same, of a table uponwhich the reed-plate rests, supported on said slide and capable ofvertical adjustment by means of a wedgeshaped key in tcrposed betweensaid slide and table and said key, and means for clamping the table andkey in position after adjustment, substantially as Set forth.

3. In a machine for manufacturing musical reeds, the combination, with aslide upon which the reed-plate to be operated upon is supported, ofmeans for clamping the reedplate laterally, consisting of aclamping-lever supported on said slide, a pivoted lever, also supportedon said slide and provided with a depression therein adapted to receiveat the proper time the end of a screw projecting out from the lower endof the clamping-lever, and stops to engage said pivoted lever at theproper time to cause the clamping-lever to operate to clamp thereed-plate preparatory to its being operated upon, and to release itafter it has been operated upon, all constructed and open ated in themanner substantially as shown and described. I

4. The means for clai'nping the reed plate laterally upon its supportwhile it is being operated upon, consisting of a lever, 20, pivoted at21, and carrying a clam pingblade, 20, at its upper end, and anadjustable screw, 23, at its lower end, and a spring, 30, in combinationwith a lever, 24, pivoted at its upper end and provided with adepression, 25, therein for the purpose stated, and set-screws 26 and28, adapted to engage thelever 24 at theproper time to cause theclamping-lever 20 to operate to clamp and to release the reed-plate, inthe manner substantially as shown and de scribed.

5. In a machine for manufacturing musical reeds, the combination, with aslide for carrying the reed-plate to be operated upon, of a rotarydieholder carrying dies for operating on the reed-plate, substantiallyas set forth,

and means for operating said die-holder in connection with said slide,substantially as shown and described.

6. In a machine for manufacturing musical reeds, the combination, with aslide for carrying the reed-plate, of a. rotary die-holder for operatingon said plate, in the manner substantially as set forth, and mechanismto regulate and control the action of said die-holder in conneetionwiththe movement ofsaid slide,

rying the reed-plate and a rotary die-holder for operating on saidreed-plate, of mechanism to regulate and control the action of saiddieholder in connection with the movement of said slide, consisting of agear secured on the die-holder shaft, a rack for operating said gear, arod extending out from said rack and provided with adjustable check-nutsto engage with astud extending out from said slide, and said stud, allconstructed and operated substantially as shown and described, andforthe purpose stated.

8. In a machine for manufacturing musical reeds, the combination, with aslide for carrying the reed-plate to be operated upon and an adjustableplaning or shaving tool, of a rotary die-holder carrying dies foroperating on the reed-plate, in the manner substantially as set forth,and mechanism connecting said dieholder with the slide to cause the diesto operate upon the reed-plate immediately after the planing operation,substantially as shown and described.

9. The combination, with a slide, 11, astud, 53, extending outtherefrom, and the rotary dieholder 36, carrying dies for operating onthe reed-plate, of the die-holdershaft 41, gear 48, secured thereon,rack 50, for rotating said gear, and rod 51, connected with said rackand provided with adjustable nuts 52 and 54, between which the stud 53extends for the purpose stated, all constructed and operated substantially as shown and described.

10. The rotary die-holder 36, made in two parts, each part carrying adie for operating onthe reed-plate, the relative position of said diesbeingadjust-able by changing the relative position of the parts of thedie-holder, sub-' stantially as set forth, and for the purpose stated.

11. In the rotary die-holder 36, carrying dies for operating on areed-plate in themanner substantially as set forth, the combination,with the holder 36, carrying a die, 39, and a screw, 40, for adjustingsaid die, of the holder 36, carrying a die, 43, and. centrallysupported, and adapted to be moved around on the part 36, to adjust therelative position of the dies, and to be clamped to said part 36,

substantially as shown and described.

12. The combination, with a rotary dieholder carrying the dies foroperating on a reed-plate, in the manner substantially as set forth, andthe die-holder shaft, of means for supporting said shaft in such amanner that said shaft and the die-holder secured thereon may beadjusted laterally, substantially as shown anddeseri'bed.

13. The combination, with the die-holder 36, carrying the dies foroperating on the reedplate, substantially as set forth, and thedieholder shaft 41, on which said die-holder is secured, and the gear48, fast on said shaft, of a sleeve, 46, extending between thedie-holder 36 and gear 48, and forming a bearing for the shaft 41, saidsleeve having a thread on its exterior surface adapted to engage with athread in the bearing 47, so that said sleeve may be moved endwise toadjust the lateral position of the die-holder 36, substantially as shownand described.

. ANDREW H. HAMMOND. Witnesses:

JOHN G. DEWEY, M. RALPH DRYDEN.

